An "Unusual" Hobby?
A lot of people enjoy having hobbies in their free time. Some people read, knit, paint, and many other activities. However, Hayley Dwire, 22, has a hobby that some people might consider unusual - she redesigns dolls.
Dwire is relatively new to the craft. "I started about a year and a half ago", she explains. "I say tutorials on YouTube and I wanted to try it." Crafting and creativity come naturally to Dwire. She studies music education at Central Michigan University and has other crafting-based hobbies, such as painting and crochet. Designing new dolls is another outlet for her.
She has had a lot of encouragement and outside influence. "Both my parents are creative, and I and my sister did a lot of the same stuff," Dwire says. "I and my sister would sit and listen to the radio and draw for hours.
It is not a small process to redesign a doll from scratch. Dwire has to buy supplies, either in or store or online, though ordering materials can lengthen the process. “I’m waiting for some supplies right now,” Dwire says. “I ordered them about three weeks ago. It’s just some glitter and hair.” After she gets all her supplies, she has to prepare her doll, which consists of taking off the hair and the paint so she can design it in her image. Once the doll is ready, she can finally begin.
Depending on the intricacy of the designs, she can spend days on one doll. “I normally spend about 5 hours on a doll, but they can take longer. This one probably will,” she says. She is working on the doll’s hair first. Depending on the material she has, this process can take a long time, but she doesn’t mind. “I find this part relaxing,” she says. “A lot of this process is just patience and time management.”
Despite the craft becoming more popular online, several still don’t take it too seriously. As Dwire collected her materials at Joann’s, an employee asked what she was going to use it for. When Dwire told her, she said her daughter is into stuff like that. However, Dwire didn’t take offense. “I don’t think it's weird. If you look online, there are a lot more videos and tutorials,” she says. “It’s more common than it has been.”
Hayley Dwire, 21, begins her renovation process by attaching new hair to the doll. "Depending on the project, it could take a few hours to several days to complete," she explains. "This is definitely one of the longer steps."
Dwire looks at the other fabrics at Joann's. "I usually look for the cheapest supplies," she says. "A lot of good stuff is online, but it takes a while to arrive."
In the basement of her apartment, Dwire works in her own little workspace and watches anime. "I get a lot of ideas from those shows. They have a lot dramatic styles."
While it looks as if she hasn't made much progress, Dwire has spent about an hour attaching hair to the doll's head. "Depending on the material of the hair, it could take a while. Painting the face is definitely the longest part. If you make a mistake, you have to start the process over."
Dwires workspace is small, barely enough room for the couch and tables. "I spend a lot of time down here. I can spread out and work."
Dwire inspects fabric at Joann's Fabric. She is selective about the materials she uses. "A part of it is figuring out a theme, then staying within my budget," she explains.
Dwire reacts to her anime as she continues her work. "I can get through a lot of episodes. It's pretty relaxing," she says.